piles & piles of comics

I still have three huge piles of comics picked up at SPX and Stumptown that i want to list, for your edification, and i still will... i promise. But i just haven't had the opportunity to start.

Meanwhile, here's a press release from my pal David (Less Than Heroes) Yurkovich, and a pet project, fund-raising book he's producing, on the life and work of Bill Mantlo.

But before that, i wanted to ask any readers if they know anything about a possible rerelease of the classic 90's noir film L.A. Confidential. I just watched that tonight on the big screen at local pub-theater The Laurelhurst Theater. I haven't seen this since it came out almost a decade ago, and it blew me away just like it did the first time. Holy shit! what a great movie. This is certainly a film that truly deserves a super-deluxe dvd upgrade. Any news along these lines would be welcome.

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For Immediate Release
2006..11.06

BILL MANTLO BENEFIT PROJECT: An Appeal to Fan, Pros, and Retailers

With 54 of its 64 pages finished, MANTLO: A LIFE IN COMICS (aka, The Bill Mantlo Benefit Project) nears completion. The project, initiated by David Yurkovich (LESS THAN HEROES, DEATH BY CHOCOALTE: REDUX) in May 2006 is planned for a spring 2007 release through his Sleeping Giant imprint. It features a retrospective of Bill’s extensive career at Marvel, which included lengthy runs on INCREDIBLE HULK, ROM, MICRONAUTS, and PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN. Also covered are Mantlo’s co-creations, such as CLOAK AND DAGGER, JACK OF HEARTS, ROCKET RACCOON, and SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS. The benefit project includes rare photos as well as interviews with many of Bill’s fellow industry professionals like George Pérez, Mike Mignola, Marv Wolfman, Tony Isabella, Al Milgrom, Herb Trimpe, Ed Hannigan, Roger Stern, and Jackson Guice, as well as insights from Mike Mantlo and from Bill’s daughter, Corinna. Additionally, the project features previously unpublished fiction by Mantlo, including Bill’s bittersweet character study, AFTERMATH, which Yurkovich has adapted into a six-page sequential format color story.

All proceeds from MANTLO: A LIFE IN COMICS are being donated to Bill’s caregiver and brother, Mike Mantlo. Yurkovich has created a special web site portal and is appealing to fans, pros, and retails for their assistance. “I commenced this project because I had to,” Yurkovich noted. “Bill is one of the main reasons I got hooked on comics in my youth. As a life-long fan of his work, I think a tribute of this nature is long overdue. As more and more fans are exposed to Bill’s work for the first time (through back issues and Marvel’s reprint collections), I think Bill’s story should be told. Because Bill’s tragic accident has left him cognitively incapacitated, I’m working to tell that story from interviews with his writer/artist/ editor colleagues at Marvel, archival footage, and interviews with Bill’s family. Unfortunately, I’m producing this book at the same time that my wife and I undergo a costly international adoption, leaving me with literally no funding. Thus, I’m appealing to fans, pros, and retailers to help.”

The Bill Mantlo portal offers fans, pros, and retailers the opportunity to help make this project a success and a lasting tribute. Yurkovich is appealing to Bill’s friends and enthusiasts to contribute directly to the project. A donation will help to offset the printing and advertising costs of the book. Additionally, donors who contribute $20 or more will receive a copy of the completed book, and will be listed in a special thank-you section. “This is going to be a good project, and with the support of the comics community it’ll be a great project. I’ve been working on this for nearly seven months. I’m pleased to have contributed my time assembling, designing, and coordinating this project. I really wish I could also fund it as well. Since I can’t, I’m hoping that Bill’s legions of fans and friends will lend a hand.”

Donations can be made via Paypal or via check. To date, nearly four-dozen donations have been received from fans in the US and abroad, and from pros including Tony Isabella, Sean McKeever, and Phil Hester. “I’m hopeful that more fans, pros, and retailers will offer their financial support to this benefit book. Mike and I are extremely grateful to those who have already donated to the project. I’m posting all comments from contributors on the web site, and I’ve added contact information for anyone wishing to send a note to Mike. Incidentally, Bill celebrates his 55th birthday this week (on November 9), and I know that Mike would love to hear from anyone wishing to send along a note of good cheer to Bill.”

MANTLO: A LIFE IN COMICS is a non-profit benefit book scheduled for a spring 2007 release. The 64-page, magazine-sized (8.5 x 11”) project is being produced in black-and-white, and features a special color section with previously unpublished material by Bill Mantlo. The book is written, edited, and designed by David Yurkovich, and is being published by Sleeping Giant. Retail price is undetermined, but will likely be in the $5 to $6 range.